moldova reality

Hello Everyone! My news has been a little delayed in coming, but here is the first report from Moldova.
I made it very safely to my destination here in Moldova, with no trouble in the airports or on the planes. I met and talked to a missionary from S.Africa en route to Washington DC. It was a very encouraging conversation. I am always blessed tremendously when that sort of thing happens on a plane. I think God put me right next to him!
I have already been to the town of Rezina and have helped with some children's ministry. It is COLD here, but mostly because there is a lot of walking required. we walk to our place of ministry, and the buildings are not always heated. We also use a form of transportation called "ruteria", or mini buses. they transport you to wherever you want to go, and you pay 3 lei per ride. I think that is equivalent to a few cents. i am learning how to ride them easily and quickly.
Today I went shopping for my own food with a couple other girls. It was not very easy to decide what to buy in another language, and with another form of currency. It was quite frustrating actually! This, among other things, constantly reminds me of the need to learn the language here, and hopefully to learn it quickly! It is hard to not be able to communicate, and to have to lean on someone else to translate, when i am the only one who does not speak the language here in the group. But, I know over time it will grow easier. Now is just the hard time.
I have been able to help with a couple ministries already this past week. Friday, after taking a couple hour bus ride alone to Rezina, I arrived at the town where I will call home for a few months, or "3 luni", as they say here. That day I helped out with a ministry in a Day Center, or after school care. It is a ministry of the local Baptist Church, and we go and help out with a kids program. The center feeds the children a hot meal, and helps them with homework. this meal is the only meal of the day for many of these kids.
I also helped with a sunday school on sunday in a town called Saharna that has no church, but a few christians meet together for worship.
Tomorrow is our day of prayer and fasting, and the whole team comes together from the north and south, and we pray.
Thank you for praying and thinking of me. When you get cold, think of moldova where there is not much heat.
Please pray that I can learn the language very quickly, and that I can be effective in the ways that God would have me to, and not think about myself so often. it's easy to do here, being the only american. But, I want to remain unseen, and just be a vessel...

God bless you!

melanie